30 Mar

To me, spellcraft is as much a part of my religion as the God and Goddess. However, it is not that way for everyone. Spellcraft or magick is a personal choice for every person on the Pagan path. It is totally possible to be Pagan and not perform magick. In my path, I’ve incorporated spellcrafting into my spirituality because I find it to be effective and helpful. The choice is up to you.There is a lot of mystery over what magick is, especially from the mundane world. Magick uses the natural vibrations of things around you, plus your own vibrations to accomplish your desire. The colors, herbs, incense and other tools you use in magick all have vibrations that affect the universe.

I have to note, however, that performing magick is not something that you just enter to on a whim. Magick will not supply you with your desire if you haven’t done anything to make it come true in your life. You need to work on your desire at the practical level first. Magick works through others, but it also works through your own actions. If you light a dozen green candles to get your dream job, and then sit on your butt and don’t look at the want ads, you aren’t going to see a desirable end to your goal. If you really, really, really want something, you are going to be doing all that you can to get it. Magick is just another part of your dedication to your goal.

Spells last no longer than 3 lunar cycles, but they can manifest almost immediately. If you light a candle for love, and then meet someone the very next day, your spell has worked. Spend the next period of time thanking the God and Goddess for granting your desire. This is especially important if you are using a spell that requires actions for several days in a row. For example, if you receive money on the 4th day of a 7-day money spell, spend the next three days in sincere thanks for the money. Spend the time you would normally use to perform your ritual in a meditation of thankfulness.

On the other hand, you could find yourself at the end of 3 lunar cycles without having your spell work. Now is the time to look back in your Book of Shadows and review how you set up the spell. Also evaluate your level of desire for your spell. Did you do a spell because you seriously wanted or needed it? If your desire is high, try doing the spell in a different way. Use different words in your spell. Time it differently and pay closer attention to astrological phenomena.

As a rule of thumb, if you try any spell 3 times without results, it is time to stop. This desire is not for you and the deities are trying to show you this by stopping your magick. It may be that what you desire may be harmful to someone in a way you hadn’t realized. It could be that your spell would harm you at a future time. The deities and your Higher Self are guiding you to choose a different way of looking at things. Heed their guidance! That is their purpose in your life.

Magick does work though, when the desire is right for you. I have proof of this in my life and the lives of others that I’ve met. When we perform magick, we are acting out what we want to happen and conceiving of it as having actually happened. This is the key. After you perform your spell, don’t worry and wonder about it. KNOW deep down that it will be done.
Brightest Blessing,

Rose Ariadne, Your Warm And Caring “Resident Witch In Charge”

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23 Mar

Energy is all around us and takes many different forms. Just as there is positive and life affirming energy, there is also negative energy. People can send negative energy to you, sometimes without even knowing it, but most of the time you can repel it automatically with your own aura and positive attitude. However, there may be times that you feel you are under energy attack.
This can happen slowly without you knowing it. I’ve experienced this a few times in my magickal life, and even in my pre-magickal life, although I didn’t know how to recognize it. One time it was a former friend, another was from a boss who didn’t know her own power. Even non pagans can inflict a psychic attack by having very strong negative feelings toward you. The extent of the effect depends on both the power of the sender, and your own ability to resist it.How do you know if you are under psychic attack? One of the telltale signs is disturbed sleep with nightmares. If you wake up feeling like you have not slept at all, you may be under psychic attack. Also, look for plants mysteriously dying in your home or garden. Your animals may get sick or act strangely. A psychic attack can also manifest itself with an infestation of insects. Finally, you also experience a series of dangerous narrow escapes (such as just missing being in a car accident, or slipping often).

If you experience only one of two of these events, the chances are you probably aren’t under psychic attack. However, if you are truly under psychic attack, it has been my experience that you will actually know it. You will feel that someone is out to get you or is watching you. That feeling, combined with several of the previously mentioned occurrences means that you have a psychic attack on your hands.

Fortunately, there are things that you can do to ward off such attacks. I’ve been able to do so successfully myself, and I have guided several members of my magickal family through this process.

The simplest way to ward off a psychic attack is to do a reversal spell. To perform this spell, use a red and black candle. Many occult shops sell candles that are red at one end and black at the other. You will also need a mirror.

In my experience, it is best to perform a reversal spell as close to midnight as possible. Also, timing it during the waning phase of the moon will help the power of the spell. However, if you are in another moon phase and desperately need to rid yourself of the psychic attack I’ve successfully done this spell during the waxing moon as well.

Take a ritual bath and focus your energy on protection and strength. Use the colors of red and black on your altar as well, and burn incense that has banishing or strength giving properties. After you’ve cast your circle and called the deities, place your candle in front of the mirror and light it. State that any negative energy that come toward you is sent back to the sender without any harm to you. Make sure not to name a person at this point, even if you feel positive that you know who has been attacking you. You don’t want to send the negative energy to the wrong person. All you are to be doing is focusing the energy you are receiving back to its source. The magick will do the rest.

Remember, taking magickal precautions against psychic attack is one of the most powerful ways to protect yourself. Don’t be afraid to do this spell if you find that the need arises.
Love And Light,

Rose Ariadne, Your Warm And Caring “Resident Witch In Charge”

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16 Mar

Candle magick is an important part of spellwork, but there are specific types of candles that can help you get in tune with yourself, or help others around you. Astral candles are used to represent people on our altar. Most of the time it is a representation of yourself, but you can also represent your family members or others that you want to bless with your magick. Astral candles are also used at Esbats to link your subconscious to the group’s subconscious. The altar represents the subconscious mind and when you are doing spellwork alone, the altar is your own subconscious mind. The altar of a coven is the group mind, so in order to link yourself with the group, an astral candle representing you is lit and placed on the altar. In coven work, astral candles are representing the fact that all members are there of their own free will and that they are all going to participate fully in the coming ritual.Making an astral candle for that altar is relatively simple. There are two colors for every astrological sign, a primary color and a secondary color. In the following list, the primary color is first for each sign.

Aries: white, pink
Taurus-red, yellow
Gemini-red, blue
Cancer-green, brown
Leo-red, green
Virgo-gold, black
Libra-black, blue
Scorpio-brown, black
Sagittarius-gold, red
Capricorn-red, brown
Aquarius-blue, green
Pisces-white, green
Obtain a large candle in your primary color, and a smaller candle for your secondary color. In the larger candle, use your athame or a consecrated toothpick to carve your name, birthdate, personal symbol or sign into the wax. You can carve all of these into the candle if it is large enough. Include any symbol or phrase that is personal to you. You can add your craft name, a glyph representing you and your astrological sign as well.

Once you’re done carving, light the smaller candle and drip the colored wax onto the larger candle. Its best to do this over a paper towel (it gets a bit messy!). Drip the wax in a pattern if you like, using spirals, stripes, dots or another pattern. Give the wax time to harden.

Now you are going to breathe your essence onto the candle. This joins your spirit to the candle and adds more of your personal energy. Hold the candle in the palm of your hands, with it rest on your side by side pinkies. Start blowing from the base to the wick. Turn the candle 1/3 of the way, and then blow from base to wick again. Repeat this one more time so there are 3 turns to the candle and 3 breaths. Remember, 3 is a sacred number.

Next, you’ll want to dress your candle in an appropriate oil. Occult shops sell oils specific for astrological signs, and you’ll want to purchase one for your sun sign. Dress your candle by oiling your palms and rubbing them together. Start from the middle of the candle the wick and rub the candle up to the wick 3 times. Then turn the candle so the base is at the bottom and rub from the middle to the base 3 times. Finally, dress the candle from wick to base three times.

This candle now has a psychic link to you so you’ll want to treat it very carefully. Make sure not to give it away, lose it or break it. In fact, its best to make it as close to the time you will use it as possible.

Astral candles have many uses. Once you make the basic candle described above, you can add to it for specific spell purposes. If you are performing a ritual in which you want to gain more psychic power, use purple candle drips onto of your astral colors. Use color correspondence charts to choose the right color for your specific working.

The candle should be burned for at least 15 minutes to be effective. It can also be used for many rituals until they are burned away. After the last use, don’t discard your candle but let it burn completely away. This will ensure that all of your energies are directed out into the universe to bring you your desire.
Brightest Blessing,

Rose Ariadne, Your Warm And Caring “Resident Witch In Charge”

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09 Mar

One of the most important things to do before starting any ritual or spellwork is to take a spiritual bath. When you think about ancient times, baths were only taken for special occasions. We in the modern world have been spoiled with the thought that a bath or shower is needed everyday. This century, in fact, is one of the first in which baths and showers have become prevalent. It is no wonder that we have lost the meaning and importance of this pre-ritual step.Since baths were not a regularity, they were taken with specific purposes and close attention to intention. When a witch of ancient times bathed, it was a ritual in and of itself. In a way, our daily shower or bath can become a mini-ritual. It marks the beginning of a new day and wipes our energetic slate clean for the coming tasks. When you take your daily shower, keep this in mind. You might want to invest in some herbal soaps and shampoos to emphasize this point. If you need to be energized, choose orange blossom or another citrus scent. Vanilla and lavender bring relaxation. Ylang ylang and other spicy scents can infuse you with power for the coming day. Refer to a herbal list of correspondences to bring meaning to this seemingly mundane task.

A spiritual bath takes this process one step further. When you take a spiritual bath you are preparing your body, mind and spirit for the magickal work ahead. Fill your tub with warm water and use an herbal bath preparation of your choice. You can also use some herbal oil that is appropriate for the ritual you are going to be doing. Consecrate the bath as the water is running by using 3 pinches of sea salt. Take the first two fingers of your right hand if you are right handed and your left if you are left-handed. This is your power hand. Use the fingers of your power hand to swirl the water around 3 times and say the following blessing (of course you can use your own words as well):

O Water I charge thee, be Purified
By the powers of the Lady Goddess and Lord God
O Blessed Mother of all living things
Make this ritual bath Holy and purify it
I will take honor of thee
I come before thee in pureness
Of mind, body and soul
In They name I do ask
So Mote It Be

Trace a pentagram in the water as you end the blessing. If you are going to be honoring a specific God or Goddess during your working, name them in the blessing.

Use candles and incense in the bathroom to make your aura receptive to the ritual ahead. Make sure to turn off the bathroom lights and relax for no less than 9 minutes. While you relax focus on your wishes and pour water over your head and shoulders three times. After you are done with your bath, dry off and anoint yourself with appropriate oil on your chakra points.

Ritual baths are appropriate to do before any circle or ritual. If you are part of a coven, take your bath at home prior to arriving at the meeting place. You can also do a ritual bath after the Full Moon, on the night before a big event (a new job, promotion, wedding, celebration) and on Monday, which is sacred to the Moon. Spiritual baths can be used to banish any hostility you feel from others or any time you need to cleanse and purify your spirit. It’s a good practice to get into whenever you’re feeling a little low or energetically out of balance.

Enjoy your baths!
Love And Light,

Rose Ariadne, Your Warm And Caring “Resident Witch In Charge”

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02 Mar

A lot of people write me to ask about my name. Rose Ariadne is my magickal name, the special name I gave myself when I became a witch. I use it for all of my pagan purposes and it is as a part of me as my mundane name. Of course, I know plenty of people who choose not to have a magickal name. While I respect their choice I think there are important reasons for having a magickal name.Having a magickal name used to have a totally practical and life saving purpose. Witches took names to conceal their identities and protect themselves form the Inquisition. Eventually, this evolved in to developing an entire magickal personality for carrying out personal work.

Picking a magickal name is not something that you should rush into. The process takes time and should not be entered into lightly. You craft name will stick with you throughout your journey in this path. We are born with the mundane names that our parents gave us, but our craft names are ours to choose. When you bestow yourself with a new name, you are entering into a new phase of your life. You are being “birthed” as it were into Paganism.

However, choosing a craft name is not an absolute necessity. You can most definitely use your own name for your magickal purposes. I like the idea of the magickal name because it sets you apart from the other aspects of your life. Your practice of the craft is special and unique, and it deserves the special recognition that using a magickal name can bestow. It can be very rewarding to choose and take on a magickal personality. For me, my magickal name gave me an extra sense of confidence and belonging in this path. It gave me the extra “oomph” I thought I needed. While I realize this was completely a psychological trick, I still feel that magickal names are important. A lot of people enter the craft not sure if they really belong there. It is a foreign religion to most, and picking a magickal name can make it more familiar.

Magickal names can still be a form of protection. Since Wicca and Paganism are still, unfortunately, not accepted by the mainstream, choosing a magickal name can help you distance your public, mundane persona from your private religious life.

Most covens require that you choose a magickal name as part of your initiation into the circle. The coven members will refer to you as that name, and there may even been a special ceremony in which you formally take on your craft name. It can be part of your self-initiation into this path.

When choosing a name, try to pick something unique that fits you. There are many people (especially online) with the same magickal names. Try not to pick something too popular, or if you do, use it creatively. Never copy someone’s magickal name outright.

To start picking your craft name think of something that is specific and important to you. You can choose a gem, an elemental, a flower, an herb or an animal as the basis of your name. When you choose an item such as this, you are attaching yourself to qualities (both good and bad) of that object or animal. If you are particularly influenced by Amethyst and like its properties of calming, spirituality and strength then it will be a good match for you. You can also take inspiration from your totem animal or favorite herb. When you choose a magickal name, choose something that you would like to accomplish in your path. If you desire to learn to be more courageous and powerful, you may choose to incorporate the name of a powerful animal into your magickal name.

Start brainstorming names based on these tips. Come up with a list of possibilities for your magickal name, and then set that list aside for a few days. If there is a name that keeps coming back to you, then you may have found your fit. You can also use a meditation, pendulum, or tarot reading to help guide you to your magickal name.

Remember, above all, that this process can take a while to complete. Give yourself some time to think about and select a name. you’ll be happy you did.
Brightest Blessing,

Rose Ariadne, Your Warm And Caring “Resident Witch In Charge”

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